Answers (8)

I am wondering this myself as I am currently studying for the NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist (FNS) certification. It is based on an excellent textbook which has all the current wisdom about all macro- and micro-nutrients. If you like chemistry, you'll love that one. In other words, this certification gives great depth of knowledge about the science of nutrition.

However, the claim that an NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist will be the latest and greatest weapon in the fight against obesity is far-fetched.

I do not know anybody who is not perfectly aware that he/she would be healthier if they lost weight. Most have a knowledge of nutrition and calories that is formidable and many have a library of Weight Watchers, Cooking Light and Eating Well cookbooks.

While the NASM FNS certification gives a lot of information to share about the merits of different diets, it is very insufficient in the one area where people need help the most: how to apply the knowledge by changing the way they live their lives.

Ultimately, no one course has the perfect answer. If you are looking to help people in losing weight, then a coaching certification like the ACE Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach is probably a better option. For great in-depth knowledge about nutrition, NASM FNS is superb.

Another word of caution about a nutrition certification: make sure you know what you can do with it in the state you live in.

I think Karin makes an excellent point about working with people on changing their lifestyle habits. Until someone makes the choice to live a different lifestyle, all of the nutrition information in the world will not help them.

That being said, I think that we, as Personal Trainers, have the duty to educate ourselves as much as possible about nutrition. 80% of our overall health is determined by the food we ingest so to overlook that aspect is doing our customers a great disservice.

One program I have found that covers nutrition and also the "mental" aspect of health is The Healthy Edge. (www.getthehealthyedge.com). I have gone through the program myself and not only does it talk about all of the different aspects of nutrition it also covers how to move past all of the excuses that people tell themselves about why they can't lose weight or get healthy. It was a very worthwhile program! (FYI, I am not affiliated with this company so it is not me "pushing" you to buy something I'm involved with) :-)

Well it's a product and they are just trying to market it. I believe everyone takes those types of statements with a grain of salt. NASM is marketing to their people, who are prodominately personal trainers and every successful trainer prescribes food stategies, regadless of what laws exist in their state. You simply cannot attain results without telling the client how to eat. They cannot be seperated, exercise and nutrition.

I have been looking into doing something like this as well. I haven't done any research on the exams so sharing any information on the ACE lifestyle and weight management would be really helpful to me.
I have become a trainer after losing a large amount of weight. From my experience, I really didn't know that much about nutrition, balancing nutrients, or how much is a correct portion. Portion control is the really big one. So i think the more information we have concerning nutrition the better. I also feel that the coaching is extremely important because lifestyle change is a huge key to lasting weight loss.
From my point of view, a certification that combines both nutrition, coaching and lifestyle would be the best and most helpful.

Good answers. As Karin suggests, I'm not sure if a particular "nutrition" certification will increase you opportunities to gain clients. It will, however, definitely increase your personal knowledge and understanding regarding the science (biochemistries, interactions, roles of various nutrients & cofactors) of nutrition and that is nothing but good!

On this topic, anybody familiar with Precision Nutrition Certification?
http://certification.precisionnutrition.com/cert/certification-level-1.h...I have been looking for a Nutrition Certification for PTs and I was approached by Dr. John Berardi PhD and this program.
I believe it is important for us PTs to have a good understanding to be able to help our clients. No amount of exercise and training sessions with us will make a difference if our clients don't take charge with their nutritional habits. We all know that!
I also believe that having a recognized certification will make us more marketable and a step above the competition.